Towards Self-Optimizing Electron Microscope: Robust Tuning of Aberration Coefficients via Physics-Aware Multi-Objective Bayesian Optimization.

Authors

Utkarsh Pratiush, Austin Houston, Richard Liu, Gerd Duscher, Sergei Kalinin

Published in

Microscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada. Volume 32. Issue 4. Jul 01, 2026.

Abstract

Realizing high-throughput aberration-corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) exploration of atomic structures requires rapid tuning of multipole probe correctors while compensating for the inevitable drift of the optical column. While automated alignment routines exist, conventional approaches rely on serial, gradient-free searches (e.g., Nelder-Mead) that are sample-inefficient and struggle to correct multiple interacting parameters simultaneously. Conversely, emerging deep learning methods offer speed but often lack the flexibility to adapt to varying sample conditions without extensive retraining. Here, we introduce a Multi-Objective Bayesian Optimization (MOBO) framework for rapid, data-efficient aberration correction. Importantly, this framework does not prescribe a single notion of image quality; instead, it enables user-defined, physically motivated reward formulations (e.g., symmetry-induced objectives) and uses Pareto fronts to expose the resulting tradeoffs between competing experimental priorities. We use Gaussian Process regression to build a probabilistic surrogate of the aberration-dependent image-quality landscape, and employ a multi-objective acquisition strategy to select aberration settings that improve the estimated Pareto front across competing physics-informed rewards. We demonstrate that this active learning loop is more robust than traditional optimization algorithms and effectively tunes focus, astigmatism, and higher-order aberrations. By balancing competing objectives, this approach enables "self-optimizing" microscopy by dynamically sustaining optimal performance during experiments.

PMID:
42647658
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Aug 2026.

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